No!
by suckr4romance
Summary: Lily has given James every negative answer in the book on the subject of dating him. But when the two are forced together for a potions assignment, will her opinion of him change from Arrogant Jerk to Considerate Young Man? [PreHBP]
1. Prologue

A/N: Hello, y'all! I'm Christine, and I'm here to rock your world, one Latin phrase at a time. Today's phrase- flocci non facio. Meaning- I don't give a hoot. Well, this is my first Lily/James fic. I know. I'm pushing it…only 26 days till Half-Blood Prince!

Edit: **IMPORTANT** the anonymous review option is **OPEN**! Please review!

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to the very creative mind of J.K. Rowling. Thanks, Jo!

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**No!**

A Lily/James fan fiction by suckr4romance

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**Prologue**

"No," Lily Evans firmly stated for what seemed to be, and what possibly was, the millionth time.

"C'mon, Evans," James Potter continued in desperation, "we'd be doing the entire student—and faculty—population of Hogwarts a huge favor by finally going out!"

"If I've told you once, Potter, I've told you a hundred times: the answer is NO." With that, Lily left the Great Hall.

James internally groaned. He had failed yet again to obtain permission for courting Miss Lily Evans. One would think he'd eventually give up after having received every negative answer known to wizard-kind from her. There was the simple response (no), but sometimes he would receive a rather harsh reply, like "No way!" "Are you freakin' kidding me?", and "Back off, flobberworm." The most creative one he had ever gotten was "I'd rather be tied to an old Shooting Star on its way into a black hole, force-fed twenty cockroach clusters, and made to spend an entire day with a banshee from New York City."

All in all, Lily had not acquiesced to any of his requests.

But why not, anyway? Sure he'd been a git in fifth year, but he was much better now. He couldn't be that repulsive…right?


	2. Lily's Explanation

A/N: This story is divided into very...un-equivalent segments, if you will. Some parts, like the prologue and this one, are short, while I believe it's part five that's the longest of them all. And each update is a 'part', not a chapter. Think of this and the prologue as little teasers for you to come read the entire story. Well, I'm going to post all of this whether or not I get any reviews (and very frequently, too--practically twice or more a day), because I love this fic way too much for it to go down the drain. I really hope y'all like this story, because it's my favorite fan fiction piece I've ever written.

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**Part One: Lily's Explanation**

Lily Evans was returning to the Hogwarts Castle one brisk March morning after trekking around the lake. She was beginning to ascend the castle steps when she heard an all-too familiar trod crunching in the left-over snow behind her.

"Why, Potter, must you approach me _every single chance you come upon_?" she asked, turning to face a certain Chaser of Gryffindor's Quidditch team with a livid expression on her face.

James looked a bit taken aback. True, she had never before initiated any type of conversation with him, but seriously…

Lily tapped her foot impatiently, bringing James back to reality. "Oh! Er…well, why _not_?" he replied.

**Why not? I've never heard that one before.** "As if I should know," Lily answered, not actually knowing what she herself meant by it.

"Right," James blindly went on, "I wanted to know why you rejected my offer from yesterday to attend the next Hogsmeade weekend in my company."

**Again with the "why's"? When will he just give up?**Lily sighed exasperatedly. "Because you, James Potter, are an arrogant, immature jerk whose only two goals in life are to ask me out successfully and throw a Quaffle through a hoop."

Lily, now fuming at the castle doors, opened one of them, slamming it in James's face.


	3. A Meeting of the Marauders

A/N:This part's a bit longer than the first two,althoughnot by much. I might put another chapter up tonight, but I'm not sure if I will... And many thanks to ebtwisty9 for your review! I'm updating as soon as I can,and I hope it's satisfactory. Enjoy!

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Part Two: A Meeting of the Marauders

James, very put out by Lily's blunt refusal, called an emergency meeting of the Marauders in the Gryffindor boys' dormitory.

"Why the hell are we here, Prongs?" Sirius Black asked James. "We could be downstairs, selling our smuggled goods from Zonko's to unsuspecting first and second years."

**Maybe we should stop doing that…it's probably one reason Lily thinks I'm so immature.** "I'm having a…predicament of sorts," James began. "You see, I—"

"—messed up yet another chance to date Lily Evans," Remus Lupin cut in.

"H-how did you know, Moony?" James asked, rubbing his temples tiredly.

"You're not the only Marauder who talks to her James," Remus said patiently.

"Moony _is_ the only one of us she tolerates," Peter Pettigrew piped up.

"That's probably because he's the only one of us who goes to the library," Sirius mused. "Of course, she mostly goes there to get away from you, Prongs. Hey Moony, do lots of girls hang out in the library?"

Remus was about to respond when James said, "What can I _do_?"

"Wait, is that James Potter asking for advice on a girl?" Sirius cupped a hand to his ear. "Potter, Gryffindor star Chaser? I never thought I'd see the day…" Sirius teased his friend.

"But this isn't just any girl. This is _Lily Evans_," James persisted passionately. "I've liked her for ages. And if I don't date her this year, who knows when I'll ever see her again?"

"James," Remus, the most emphatic of the Marauders said seriously, "have you asked her why she keeps on refusing?"

"Yes, actually. I did this morning."

"And? What did she say?" pried Peter excitedly.

"She said something along the lines of 'because you're arrogant and immature,' and I'm not sure of the rest. I was too shocked that she had actually faced me to reply."

"That's definitely a step in the right direction, though, if she faced you. And you can work on your immaturity and arrogance," Remus said hopefully.

"I guess you're right, Moony." James sighed.

"I think you've got the Illness, mate," Sirius said solemnly.

"What's that?"

"Something my Uncle Tonks talks about. It means you're ill for, well, Lil," Sirius expounded, laughing slightly.

"Oh…"

"All right, Prongs," Remus prompted. "Tell us what we need to do."

James was always the mastermind of the Marauders' pranks, so Remus, Sirius, and Peter looked toward him expectantly. He had a strained expression on his face.

"I…Merlin, I don't know."

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A/N: There's quite a bit of alliteration in this portion, I've realized…maybe I should try writing poetry… 


	4. The Assignment

A/N: I said I might post part three tonight, and here it is! I wish more people would read it...it's short, but I guarantee y'all will like it.

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Part Three: The Assignment

Sometime after the emergency meeting, a few select sixth year students were trudging along the dank, torch-lighted path to the dungeons for their NEWT potions class.

"I can't _stand_ this class anymore, Moony!" James said to his fellow Marauder.

"Well, you're the one who wanted to become an Auror," Remus replied.

Having entered the classroom, James and Remus sat down at a table behind Lily and her Ravenclaw friend Dorcas Meadowes. James propped his head on his hand and sighed, staring into Lily's fiery locks. "I guess it's not too terrible to endure."

"You, my friend, are completely hopeless," said Remus, chuckling.

Then the Potions Master, Professor Geoffrey Solomon, walked into the room, black robes billowing out behind him. He stood in front of the chalkboard and began to speak.

"Two months," he said. "Yes, that is the amount of time you and a partner will have to brew your next assignment, which will count heavily toward your score for this term. This not a NEWT grade, but keep in mind your future employers will look not only at your NEWTs, but at other information as well, _including_ recommendations from your former professors. I happen to consider every grade you have made for this class when I write my recommendations.

"The potion you brew is strictly your choice, but make sure you stay in the allotted time frame.

"And _I_ shall be selecting your partners."

No one retaliated at the professor's orders; many feared his wrath. The houseless (he had not attended Hogwarts) man would not show mercy to any of his students, much less partiality. He scanned the students with a beady eye.

"Nott and McKinnon…Bones and Fenwick…Lupin and Snape"—James heard a faint groan to his left side—"Meadowes and Dolohov…Evans and Potter…"

James's eyes widened as he heard this last bit. Surely his ears had deceived him?

But then he witnessed Lily repeatedly banging her head on the table in front of her, and he knew it must be true.


	5. A Library Encounter

A/N: Hey! Thanks for the reviews everyone... And now that fan fiction dot net has decided to let me see how many hits I've got for the stories I've posted, I know there are some people who aren't reviewing like I asked...don't be shy! I'd love to hear your opinions, and constructive criticism can always help me become a better writer.

By the way, if anyone's interested in my original fiction/non-fiction, my fiction press identity is praying4hooks (I love The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn), previously LiteratureMyLife. I've only posted a little blurb called "True Friends." Enjoy!

Oh, and enjoy part four. I'll post part five (aka- the longest part) later today.

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ebtwisty9: Many Thanks! I'm glad you like that it's getting longer...keep me posted on what you're thinking OOC-wise!

WallofIvy: Thank you! I'm glad you think it's cute. I'm kind of going for a witty romance fic.

Jedi Kinght Bus: Thanks! I hope you enjoy the rest of Hermione's Exasperation, because Buck and I are really working hard on it.

iWILLmarryDanielRadcliffe: Hey Hilz...I can't believe you're leaving tomorrow! Courtney and I wanted to go with you to see Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants... Anyway, gratias tibi ago! ego sum laeta, quod tu amas fabulam! Mwahaha...you thought you'd get away from the Latin, but you were wrong! However, you are right about the Chaser/Seeker thing. I'm changing it to Quaffle and Chaser, because James was a Chaser in the books, but he was a Seeker in the movies...maybe I should re-read them...have fun in Michigan!

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Part Four: A Library Encounter

James and Lily met in the library after classes on that fateful day they had been forced together by Professor Solomon. They had previously obtained permission from Professor Minerva McGonagall to look for books in the Restricted Section. Now they were browsing the volumes on potions.

James picked up a random book from the middle shelf and opened it. Immediately, a piercing scream emitted from the book. He closed it quickly and put it back in its rightful place. "Bloody hell," he muttered. He'd hate to have that book scream at him during one of his nocturnal outings in his Invisibility Cloak.

Lily mumbled something under her breath, causing James to come to attention. Did she say what he thought he had heard?

"What was that, Evans?" he asked her timidly.

"_Hex me_," Lily repeated clearly and vehemently, her green eyes sparkling dangerously.

**Okay, _definitely_ not what I thought**. "Sor-ry, Evans. What did I do to you, anyway?"

"I _know_ you had something to do with us working together, Potter, and I _don't_ appreciate it."

"You kidding? If I could have chosen my partner, I'd've picked Marlene McKinnon. She's really good at Potions."

"And I'm not?"

"Well, you're much better at Charms."

"You know Potter, you're right," Lily broke down. "This counts toward our futures! I can't do this. Potions class has always been an enigma to me…" she sniffled. "And now that I'm paired with someone who won't work his half…" Her sobs grew louder, attracting the stares of a group of Ravenclaws behind one bookcase.

James took a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to Lily. She accepted it hesitantly and dried some of her tears. After calming down considerably, she said, "If I fail this assignment, I'll just…die."

Startled by the fear in her voice, he waited a minute before replying, "I'm going to pull my own weight, Evans. You won't fail. I'll see to that. And you won't die either. Okay?"

Lily's eyes lit up with hope. "Really? You will?"

"Yeah, sure," James said. "How hard could it be?" he finished, grinning confidently.

He had absolutely no idea what he had gotten himself into.

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Review, please! 


	6. The Ironic Thoughts of Lily Evans

A/N: Hello again...I just feel like updating, and I've been writing like mad lately! This is the one you've all been wating for: the longest part so far! Woo-hoo! Please review, as always.

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**Part Five: The Ironic Thoughts of Lily Evans**

James arrived at the portrait guarding Gryffindor house at the stroke of nine o'clock that night, carrying quite a few thick books on potions in his arms. He had told a distraught Lily she could go, and he would check the books out. He was about to wake up the Fat Lady when someone shouted at him from the staircase behind him. "Merlin, Prongs! Where've you been? We were supposed to play chess after dinner."

"Library," James stated simply to Sirius.

"Oh, right. You and Evans, doing your potions assignment together. Well, no matter. We can play now."

"Sorry Padfoot. I promised her I'd help her look through these books. We're meeting in the common room right now. You can come if you want," James added out of politeness, although the thought of Sirius tagging along bothered him a bit.

"No, no. I wouldn't want to intrude on your—ah—work," Sirius waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"You don't have to worry about that. I'm just trying to pass Potions—"

"Yeah, and Grindelwald just _tried_ to take over half the world."

"You were paying attention in History of Magic yesterday?"

"Yeah.By 1941, Lord Grindelwald had taken over the greater part of Europe. The Muggles called him Hitler."

"Wow. That's something." James noticed the Fat Lady had awoken, and—with a "Later, Padfoot"—recited the password and climbed through the portrait hole. Lily was already sitting at a rather large table, waiting for him.

"Thanks again for doing this," Lily said as James set the pile of books onto the table.

"No problem," James lied. He had basically moved heaven and earth to get the new librarian, Madam Pince, to let him take so many books from the Restricted Section.

Neither knew what else to say, so they began poring over the various volumes.

After a period of time, Lily looked up from 20,000 Potions You Never Thought Existed to see James hard at work. He scribbled something onto a piece of parchment every few minutes. Lily took a moment to admire his deep concentration. _Perhaps there's hope for him after all_, a little voice inside her head mused.

**No**, she replied. Once a git, always a git.

_That's not entirely true. Mother always said Father used to be such an idiot, but look how he turned out!_

N**o**, Lily thought again, more firmly.

_I guess we'll just have to see._ After that, the voice remained silent, and Lily turned back to her book.

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"All right," said James. It was midnight, and they were the only ones left in the common room. "I made a list of possibilities." He handed it over to her. Lily gaped at him.

"Thanks, Potter," she finally said in a businesslike manner.

His head suddenly snapped up. He gave her a lopsided grin, "Not a problem."

"So…" James said, after a minute of silence. "Where's _your_ list, Evans?"

Lily blushed. "Erm…" In truth, she hadn't found a potion she'd even consider brewing for the assignment. "I…I don't have one."

"You don't?"

"No…"

"Losing your touch, Evans?"

"No! I mean, I just…" she trailed off.

"Great. Now you're not working your half."

"Me?"

"Yes, you! Who else could I be talking to? The common room's bloody empty!"

Lily took in a deep breath and exhale. This sure as hell wasn't solving anything. "Potter, let's just…bury the hatchet, okay?" **What are you saying, Lily?** she asked herself. **I'm negotiating**, she answered. **We can't always be angry at each other, no matter how much he gets on my nerves.**

James abated. "Okay," he said. "Sounds good."

"Right, then," Lily nodded, trying to clear her head.

She turned to James's list. **Hmmm…Veritaserum…no, too complicated. Polyjuice Potion? No, too many hard-to-find ingredients…Aha! The Blood-Replenishing Potion…it's a definite possibility!**

"These are all excellent suggestions," she said, amazed.

"Really?" James looked rather pleased with himself and surprised at the same time.

"Yes. I think the best one by far is the Blood-Replenishing potion. What are your thoughts?"

"Whatever you want is fine," he replied with sincerity.

Lily glanced at the common room's grandfather clock. **Yikes! **"Well, I suppose we'll have to sleep on it. It's getting late." She started gathering the books.

"No, don't worry about it, I'll get them. You look exhausted, Evans," he moved to takes the books from her.

She held them back. "Oh, I'm just—" Lily unsuccessfully tried to stifle a huge yawn, "…I guess I really am tired." She set the books down. "Thanks again, Potter."

"You're welcome."

Lily quietly crept up the girls' staircase and entered her dormitory. She collapsed on her bed, pondering everything that had just happened.

**He's definitely being more considerate now. But why the change of heart?**

_Hmmm…**because he likes you**_. The little voice had returned, much to Lily's dismay.

**Well, I knew Potter liked me. If he's asked me out this many times…**

_The question is, Lily, do **you** like **him**?_

**Like him! How could I _possibly_ like James Potter? Oh, that's rich. **Lily shook herself slightly. **No.** **I _do_ not, _have_ not, and _will_ not my entire life.

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**

A/N: Heehee...oh, the irony.


	7. He Was All Asleep in His Bed

A/N: I feel like I'm feeding too much to y'all at once...I've only typed up to part nine. Oh well, that's okay. I thinkI figured out that part seven and part five are pretty similar in length...seven might be up soon... Enjoy!

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**Part Six: He Was All Asleep in His Bed…**

James woke up the next day to find his dormitory completely unoccupied by anyone other than himself. He looked down at this wristwatch. **11 o'clock!**

"Damn," he muttered audibly.

**Why didn't anyone bother to wake me up? Oh, is Sirius going to get it.**

James continued uttering curse words under his breath while he tried to put on his pants and comb his unruly raven hair at the same time.

He finished his morning routine in less than five minutes. Then he grabbed his satchel bag, hoping the right books were inside it, and ran down the boys' dormitory steps as quickly as possible.

James reached the common room only to find half of Gryffindor house lounging about. He spotted the Marauders—minus Wormtail—and went over to them.

"Why the hell is everyone up here?" he asked hurriedly.

"Um…because they like to spend time inside rather than outside on glorious days such as this?" Sirius humored him.

"Wh-what about class?" James asked frantically.

"Chill, mate. You sound like Evans," Sirius grinned.

Remus sighed and said, "All right, Sirius. That's enough." He then directed his attention to James. "It's Saturday. We would've woken you, but—"

"—we figured you were all asleep in your bed, while visions of Evans danced in your head," Sirius let out a series of bark-like laughs.

"It's not really funny at all," said Remus in James' defense. James was standing beside him, scowling at Sirius.

Sirius calmed down enough to say, "Sorry, Prongs. Moony's right; so now you can talk all you want about me and Catherine Wood."

This distracted James. "The new Gryffindor Keeper?"

"Oh yeah," Sirius smirked.

"I'll take you up on that, Padfoot."

"Of course."

"Anyway, James," said Remus, "how did it go with Lily last night?"

"Fine. We looked through some potions books and found a good one. What about Snape and you?"

"We're meeting in the library in"—he glanced at this watch—"five minutes." He shuddered. "This is not going to be pretty. When I show up, he'll be absolutely _livid_."

"Better run, Moony," Sirius said. "Don't want to keep dear Snivellus waiting!"

Remus blanched and hurried out the portrait hole.

"Well, Prongs. Looks like it's just you and me. How about a flight around the pitch?" Sirius suggested.

But James was not paying attention to his friend.

Lily Evans had just descended the girls' dormitory stairs and was heading straight for James.

"Again, Padfoot, my apologies. I'm supposed to work on my potions project today." James said all of this very quickly, before Lily reached them.

"Good morning, Evans," James said animatedly. "How are you?"

Lily gave him an odd expression. "Fine…"

"Evans," Sirius acknowledged her.

"Black," she nodded once. "Potter, you got everything?"

"Yep. The book with the Blood-Replenishing Potion instructions, my stores of ingredients, and my cauldron is upstairs," James recited as though he had practiced.

"Good. Let's go check the student store cupboard for the ingredients." Lily whirled around and started for the portrait hole.

Before James followed behind her, Sirius grabbed him by the shoulder and whispered in his ear, "Your case is growing worse by the minute mate."

"What case?" James asked, confused.

"Of the Illness," Sirius replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Then he pushed James in Lily's wake.

"Merlin, he's got it bad," Sirius said to himself, chuckling.


	8. A Truce of Sorts

A/N: Hey everyone! I've made the decision I'm going back to posting one part a day. I hope this part is satisfactory, because the wording took awhile to work.

I regret to inform you all that I've tried to enable anonymous reviews, but I can't for the life of me find the option on my control panel for since they changed the layout. I hate when that happens...if anyone's able to instruct me on how to enable anonymous reviews, please tell me! Meanwhile, since you can't review anonymously, and you might like to, send me your review via my e-mail and please specify the chapter you are reviewing. Sorry for the confusion, y'all!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and to those who read, but couldn't or didn't review!

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october tuscany:Thanks for reminding me about the Seeker/Chaser thing...I could've sworn I'd taken care of it, but I was wrong. It's changed, now! 

Jedi Knight Bus: Thank you very much for the suggestion! I'll try to do that, but it makes more sense the way I have it so far. The chapters DO get longer though, as I write. Part nine is getting really long...so long, the longest I've probably ever written for fan fiction.

iWILLmarryDanielRadcliffe: Hilaria iuvenem VALDE delectat. Teehee... Very good translations, I must say, although you forgot to factor in the gender with your adjectives... Thanks, we'll have fun at the movies without you...cry...just kidding. You go have fun with your cousins! I'm glad you liked the Twas the Night Before Christine...sorry, Christimas...gah! Christmas! thing. You're right...that fall did change me...must've knocked out my speech morals or something...damn.

Nicnak:Thanks for bringing that to my attention. I'm so happy you think it's a great story, and that you love the idea! And I posted as soon as I got your review, so I hope you're pleased.

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**Part Seven: A Truce of Sorts**

At the student store cupboard, Lily read aloud from a lengthy list of potion ingredients for their assignment while James scanned the various bottles and other containers.

"Stinksap," Lily said dully.

"Check," replied James, dumping two ten-kilogram bags of it into his satchel.

"One eye of newt."

"Check."

"Scarab beetles."

"Check."

"Mortar and pestle to crush them."

"Check and check."

Lily stared at him in a weird way.

"Check for mortar, check for pestle."

"Okay… Fluxweed."

"Hmmm…nope."

"All right, we can get that on the next Hogsmeade trip; we won't need it until near the end."

"Hogsmeade, eh?" said James. He raised his eyebrows. "Would that qualify as a date?"

"No," said Lily quickly, Justas the words left his mouth. "This is merely business."

"Okay…" James agreed, albeit disappointed.

"As I said, Potter, it's business. That means there will be _no_ fooling around whatsoever," she reinforced.

"I got it, I got it! Damn, Evans. Even I'm not that thick," James looked rather hurt.

"Wanna bet?"

"It was a joke, for Merlin's sake!"

"A joke?"

"Yes!"

Lily sobered a little. "You weren't really asking me out this time?"

"Hell, no!"

"Why not?"

"BECAUSE, _AS YOU SAID_, THIS IS MERELY BUSINESS!" James, needless to say, was very out of breath, and therefore, he found trouble in trying to yell anymore.

"I'm…sorry," said Lily sincerely.

"S'all right," James tried to reassure her most unconvincingly. "I just wish we could be more civil towards each other. That's the second row we've had in the last twenty-four hours."

"How do you mean 'civil'?"

"Well we don't want to go through all that hell again." James racked his brain for ideas. "Maybe…maybe we could stop calling each other by surname. It kind of radiates hostility, don't you think?"

"I suppose you're right.

"Okay, then…Lily."

For some reason unbeknownst to Lily, James' saying of her name sent a shiver down her spine. **Get a grip on yourself, Evans.**

Lily cleared her throat and turned back to the book she was holding. "It says here the potion needs to brew for a month and a half before adding the fluxweed. So we'd better start today by bringing the Stinksap to a low boil."

"All right. My cauldron's back in my dormitory. Er…do you want me to do it?"

"No. You've done quite enough already. I've got to help you lug the Stinksap upstairs, anyway. Sorry, P—James, but I don't trust you to use all twenty kilograms of that stuff in the potion. I just _know_ you'd take some for an end-of-the-year prank," Lily said, hesitating slightly on his name.

"Damn, you caught me. Fair enough."

The two carefully gathered the ingredients and silently walked back to Gryffindor house.

* * *

James and Lily entered the common room (which was unsurprisingly empty; the remainder of the house must have been taking advantage of the favorable weather), and James realized something. "Wait a second," he said. "You're not supposed to come up to the boys' dormitories!" 

"Don't be silly," Lily shrugged it off. "This is for an assignment."

James would not admit that he had tried to ascend the girls' staircase in hopes of finding her up there. His attempt was futile, as the staircase morphed into a gargantuan slide underneath his feet, sending him flying only to meet the cold stone landing. Hard. In half-hope that a similar occurrence would happen to Lily when she tried to climb his staircase, he followed her up with a heavy bag of Stinksap in his arms.

He braced himself for whatever was to happen, but it never did. **Damn. Oh well, I don't want her mad at me again anyway.** They went inside the dormitory and dumped the ingredients onto James' bed.

"Cauldron's boiling already," James said, proud of himself for thinking of it the night before.

"That's good," Lily nodded. "Okay, you empty the Stinksap into the cauldron, and I'll stir."

And so the two got to work, laughing and joking some of the time.

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A month and a half had passed by quickly. James and Lily cut, smashed, and boiled the numerous contents of their potion. Only two ingredients remained to be found, and both would be a bit of a challenge.

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A/N: Sorry for just posting that little blurb about the time passing...but it needs to pass...you shall see in the next update, which is kind of short...sorry about the short-ness. 


	9. Young and Naïve

A/N: I love you people who are reading this! Last time I looked at the hits, the count was over 1100. Wow.

This part's a bit shorter than the last one...it's more of a bridge into part nine, really. Again, sorry for the shortness!

Don't forget what I said about reviewing anonymously (if you don't belong to this site yet or don't feel like signing in or maybe you don't want your review on the Internet or whatever); e-mail to my address in my fan fiction dot net profile to do so.

Enjoy, everyone, and thank you very much for your reviews!

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Jedi Knight Bus: Yeah, the month and a half thing was just...necessary. I'm not good at writing about classes, so I compromise...how? Okay, I'm not sure. Haha... But Lily and James basically DID sit brewing the potion for a LONG time. It's a very involved assignment, and takes up a great deal of free time. Thanks as always! 

InuBecka: I'm glad you like it. I did add Professor Solomon, though, and there is another added character coming in the next part. Thanks!

Nicnak: Thank you! I didn't make up the ingredients. I went to the Harry Potter Lexicon online Potions Encyclopedia to make sure I could use the names of certain ingredients. I found Stinksapto be a good substance to thicken the potion, and I mentioned eye of newt, as it's always mentioned in movies and shows when witches brew potions...I gathered the ingredients from different places, to put it in a nutshell.

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**Part Eight: Young and Naïve**

"Hey, Padfoot!" James shouted across the Great Hall one special Saturday morning. "I want a word."

"Sirius finished his walk to the Gryffindor table. "What is it, mate?"

"I got the Stinksap from the store cupboard," James whispered to him.

"James, you forgot the code!"

"Oh, er…the lion is in the den. Why do we bother with codes, anyway?"

"It makes us look more professional."

"We _are_ professionals."

"Good point. Well, I like it better with the code. How about you?"

"I don't—"

"Will you two just be quiet?" Remus snapped, looking up from the _Daily Prophet_, obviously sleep-deprived.

"Sorry, Moony," Sirius apologized. "It's that time of month again," he added to James in a hushed voice.

James nodded absently, staring off toward the Great Hall doors.

"Not again," Sirius groaned, banging his head on the table.

Lily approached James and smiled nonchalantly. "Ready to go?"

"What?" said Sirius. "Don't you ever get a day off, James?"

It was Lily who responded. "You've obviously not been in Solomon's NEWT class, Black. The word 'leisure' isn't in the potions master's vocabulary."

"She's right, you know," Remus offered from behind the paper.

"Whatever," muttered a disgruntled Sirius.

James glanced at Sirius worriedly. "Lily, could you go on ahead? I need to talk to these two."

Lily nodded, and soon she was gone.

"All right, men," James began, "we have a mission today, but I can't be a part of it for much longer. Wait—" James stopped suddenly. "Where's Wormtail?"

"He's found himself a girlfriend. You didn't know?" Remus said.

"Am I out of the loop or what?" James asked, more to himself than anyone else.

Sirius was kind enough to supply an answer. "I've been telling you that for ages. But why can't you participate today?"

"Fluxweed," said James. "We need it for the Blood-Replenishing Potion, so we're going to Hogsmeade to get it."

"I've got it made compared it you, James," Remus said, putting down his paper.

"How's that?"

"Snape won't trust me with the potion."

"Aren't you worried about that?"

"Nope. He's a complete whiz at potions. I guess I'm a bit scared he'll make me take it, though."

"Why?"

"It's Veritaserum."

Sirius and James gasped.

"But Moony, he could have you test it in front of the class," said James, eyes bulging.

"I know," replied Remus. "But I have a plan."

"You can tell me later. I've got to go."

"What about the mission?" Sirius asked.

"You've got all the components. Do it without me!" James called after himself, already halfway to the entrance hall.

"Ah, to be young and in love," Remus mused, turning back to the 'travel' section of the _Prophet_.

"Ah, to be young and naïve," Sirius mimicked bitterly.

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Review, please! 


	10. The Final Ingredients

A/N: This is it...the one you've all been waiting for! Drum roll, please...The LONGESTpartso far! Three and a half pages typed, baby!

I'm pressed for time, so I can't really chat. Please review as always, and many thanks to those of you who have been doing so!

EDIT: **IMPORTANT **Anonymous reviews are open now! I was SO stupid...the control was RIGHT in front of me. Please review!

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EDIT: Answering reviews for Part Eight...

ebtwisty9: Yeah, sorry about the first names thing...I have a knack for doing stuff like that too early. Oh well, what's done is done. It's too late to change it, trust me.

Jedi Knight Bus: Well, this one's a lot longer! I'm glad you like the reviewer response thing. So long as you review, I'll put you up here!

iWILLmarryDanielRadcliffe: Yes, Hilz. I got it from _The Parent Trap_. Say "hi" to your cousins from me!

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**Part Nine: The Final Ingredients**

"Hey, Lily. Sorry I took so long," said James between pants. He had run from the castle as not to keep her waiting.

She was standing at the end of a rather long line of students, who were going through a tedious inspection by Argus Filch.

"It's quite all right," said Lily as they moved one step forward in line.

They proceeded in silence. Once Filch was satisfied that James did not have any Dungbombs on him, they walked to where the horseless carriages were waiting to transport them to Hogsmeade.

"So…" Lily tried to start up a conversation, "we have to get the fluxweed in town, and then the only ingredient left will be a drop of O-positive blood. Oh, that reminds me. We need someone to supply the drop… Logically, it should be one of us, but I have type-A blood. James, what's your blood type?"

"Hmmm?" James asked distractedly. Very predictably, he had been staring at her while she spoke, admiring her every facial expression.

"What's your type?"

"Oh…intelligent young women with fiery red hair and—"

"James! Did you listen to a word I was saying?"

"No…"

Lily nearly shrieked with exasperation, but, remembering their truce, she calmed down almost immediately. "What is your _blood_ type?"

"Er…what's that?" he asked, embarrassed for his ignorance. He then held a hand out for Lily and helped her into a carriage.

"You're telling me you've never been tested for your blood type?" The carriages began to move.

"No. Wizards don't normally do that."

"Oh, I never thought of that as a solely Muggle custom. We can stop at Hogsmeade's clinic after we go to the apothecary."

"What!"

"They'll take a little of your blood, and then run a test to see your type."

"No, you're not getting me to do that!"

"Why not?"

"I hate needles."

"The James Potter, big, strong Quidditch player, afraid of needles?"

James frowned. "I resent that."

"Sorry, James," Lily laughed.

"I'll show you. I can do it."

"All right then."

The students emptied out of the carriages as Hogsmeade station and went their separate ways. Lily and James ambled down the village main street, toward _MacDougal's Stores_, the local apothecary.

Lily entered first, and a bell rang when she opened the door. James followed close behind, shutting it.

"Mr. MacDougal?" Lily called.

A balding wizard with light blue eyes appeared from behind the counter. "Miss Evans, what can I do you for today?" he asked in a deep Scottish accent.

"Potions assignment. We need five kilograms of fluxweed."

"We, eh? Who might this chap be?"

"James Potter, sir," James shook hands with Mr. MacDougal.

Mr. MacDougal smiled knowingly at the pair. "I'm very sorry, Mr. Potter and Miss Evans, but I don't have any fluxweed left. I just sold the last bushel to Mr. Nott and Miss McKinnon for their belladonna antidote."

James hung his head down.

"Are you sure you don't have any left at all?" Lily asked hopefully.

"Again, I am truly sorry, Miss Evans. I'd try to get an order in before your Hogsmeade trip is over, but no one else will have it in stock either. Tonight's the full moon, and that, as you know, is the only time to pick it."

"Could we pick it ourselves?"

"I was hoping you'd ask that." Mr. MacDougal pulled out some pruning shears, a wizards' gardening book, and a sealable bag from under the counter. "Since my service has inconvenienced you greatly, I am willing to supply for your expedition without charge. This"—he pointed to a picture in the book—"is what fluxweed looks like. Here's something to cut it with, and here's a bag for it, because you won't want to age too much from air contact after you pick it." He pushed the items to Lily.

"Thank you very much, Mr. MacDougal," said Lily gratefully.

"Don't mention it. Oh, and you'll want to Disillusion yourselves. You never know what might be lurking out there at night."

"Thanks again," said James, opening the door for Lily, who was carrying the goods in her bag.

The elderly man nodded as the two exited and went into the storage room, where a box full of fluxweed sat on the top shelf.

* * *

"That really hurt, Lily," James grimaced. They had just sat down at the Three Broomsticks after a nasty experience (for James, anyway) at the clinic. 

"Oh please, it was only a prick," Lily waved it away. "Besides, now we know you've got O-positive blood, which means we won't have to ask around for it." James' face still wore a pained expression. Lily sighed. **He's hopeless.** "Look, I'll buy you a butterbeer. Will that make it better?"

"It might…"

"James!"

"Okay…please?"

"I'll be back in a minute."

Lily soon returned to the table with two bottles of butterbeer.

"We've a heck of a job to do tonight," said James after taking his first sip.

"Yeah. I was thinking about it, and even though Disillusionment is a complex charm, I think—"

"I've got that covered."

"What do you mean?"

"I have a way we can Disillusion ourselves without the charm."

"But how can you—"

"Trust me, Lily."

Lily bit her lip. **Should I?**

_Why not?_ The voice inside her head rightfully asked. She sighed. "It'd better be good."

"It will be. Don't worry. AndI've got a sure-fire way to make certain we won't get caught."

"Oh, we can't!" Lily was surprised she hadn't thought of it herself. "I'll lose my prefect's badge!"

"There are far worse things in this world than losing a prefect's badge."

"Like what?"

"Like…hmmm…dying and never having been loved? Or maybe never being happy? Or"—he added on a lighter note—"being decapitated and eaten alive by a three-headed dog?"

Lily shook her head. **His manners may have improved, but he's still pretty immature.** "So you're _sure_ you've got it covered?"

"Yep."

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Review! 


	11. A Revelation

A/N: Hey y'all. I added review responses to the last part, and I'm doing them for this part right now. Thanks to everyone, and enjoy (as always, please review. The anonymous reviews are enabled)!

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iWILLmarryDaniel Radcliffe: You are correct...

MickeyG51591: The James/Lily romance in this story is pretty eventual. We are told in the books that they did't actually go out until 7th year, so I'm trying to stay in that boundary.

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**Part Ten: A Revelation**

Lily and James split up at the entrance hall. She went into the Great Hall for dinner; he made the long journey to Gryffindor tower so he could gather everything they'd need for the night. James climbed through the portrait hole and found all three of the other Marauders there, apparently awaiting his arrival.

"Nice of you to drop by, Prongs," said Sirius.

"Hey, guys. How'd the mission go?"

"It didn't. We had forgotten that nearly everyone would be in Hogsmeade today, but we remembered at the last minute and cancelled," Sirius frowned. "A great mission gone down the drain.

"Anyway, we were just about to leave for the full moon."

"Oh!" said James. He couldn't believe it had slipped his mind. "Oh no, I _can't_ tonight. Damn, it never crossed my mind…"

"Why can't you?" asked Sirius angrily, folding his arms. "Is it another meeting with your dear Lily?"

"As a matter of fact, we have to pick some fluxweed tonight for our potion."

"Oh, I'll pick your—"

"Enough, both of you!" Remus ordered as the permanent mediator between the two. His patience was receding quickly, and it wasn't a good time for that to happen.

Sirius and James looked ashamed, while a scared Peter curled into a ball on his armchair. "Sirius, you must understand that James _is_ doing schoolwork," Remus continued. "And James, we know you're crazy for Lily, but that doesn't mean you have to be as crazy as she is when it comes to assignments. But I guess it's really not your fault. It's not like we'd know. I for one have never been in love.

"Sorry, Moony," they mumbled simultaneously. James added, "I regret to tell you I _have_ to work tonight. There's no way around it…you know how fluxweed can be."

The Marauders nodded in agreement.

"And I'll need to take my cloak and the map…and…she might ask questions."

"She's Evans; she will," Sirius reminded him.

"Right. So, I'm going to have to answer them."

"Oh…" Comprehension dawned on their faces.

"Well…that's okay, isn't it?" said Peter. None of the Marauders had ever thought the day would come when they would be obligated to share their secret.

"Yes," Remus said after a minute, having received glances of consent from everyone else.

James smiled. "Have fun tonight, guys."

"We'll try James, but without Prongs, we won't know what to do."

The others exited the common room, and James went upstairs to collect his necessities for the assignment.

* * *

James nicked himself some food from the kitchens and went in search of Lily. He easily found her in the entrance hall, tapping her foot impatiently.

"It took you long enough!"

"Would you believe I had a run-in with a bunch of ghosts gathered for the Fat Friar's eight-hundredth death day party, and they wanted me to season their feast for them?"

"Don't get smart with me right now. We've got a possible crisis on our hands."

"Okay," said James reluctantly. He felt he was on a roll for jokes at the moment, but he knew the night was young, and the sooner they accomplished the task, the better. He opened the castle door for Lily, and they ventured outside. Once in the new-fallen darkness, James lit his wand. Lily followed suit, curious as to what James' plan was.

He pulled a blank piece of parchment from his jeans pocket. Lily found humor in this. "What good is a spare sheet of parchment—"

James signaled for her to stop talking and tapped his and his friends' recent invention with his wand. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good," he recited.

Lily gasped softly as ink spread from where James' wand had touched the parchment, and formed words. She read:

_Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs_

_Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers_

_are proud to present_

**The Marauder's Map**

James unrolled the map to show the Hogwarts grounds. Two dots close together on the map signified their whereabouts near the west side of the castle.

"No, we're way too far from the fluxweed patch," he muttered. Lily did not hear him. She was still watching the dots on the map move around the school in amazement.

"C'mon, Lily," he said, rolling up the map up again. "I've got a faster way to get there."

Lily followed him, finally realizing something. She fell into step beside him. "James, who are Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs?"

He closed his eyes. Had had been expecting this; Lily was intelligent, probably the brightest witch of the age. He sighed loudly. "They're the Marauders, also known as Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black, and James Potter."

Lily froze in shock. "You…made this?"

"Remus was the real brains behind it, but I transfigured the parchment to spew nasty insults at anyone who tried to read it without the password."

"James, that's—it's—brilliant."

"Thank you. One tries."

"Where are we going, anyway?"

"Broom shed," replied James, coming upon it, opening it, walking inside, and rummaging around for something.

"What are you looking for?" Lily asked, peering inside.

"Here it is!" James yelled, happy he finally found it.

James emerged from the shed with a broomstick in hand.

Lily took one side-ways glance at it and said, "Oh no, I'm not getting on that thing."

"The Nimbus 1970 is the safest broom on the market, equipped with anti-lock acceleration and a comfortable seat-cushioning charm. Plus, it's virtually indestructible."

"Nope. Still not riding it."

"Yes, you are."

"_So_ not."

"Sorry about this, Lily," he said, quickly slinging their bag of supplies over himself, grabbing her hand, and kicking off from the ground, into the fresh night air.


	12. Flight of Lily and Another Revelation

A/N: Hello, y'all! This segment's a bit short, but I've bitten off more than I can chew...you may have noticed I didn't update yesterday. I've been busy, which is an unnatural occurrence. You also may have noticed "Hermione's Exasperation" is deleted from my penname. I've given it to Buck, as I can no longer continue writing it. I encourage everyone to see "HE" to the end. I'm sure Buck will finish it well.

It has come to my attention that I'm lacking in the way of reviews for this story...why is that, readers? Nonetheless, life goes on, and so does "No!" Enjoy, as always, and thanks to those who are reviewing!

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Nicnak: You will soon see if you are correct in your predictions... Mr. MacDougal had an idea to push them in the _right direction_...heehee. Thank you!

Jedi Knight Bus: Yeah, I guess I didn't need to say that. I just did it because it wasn't completely clear on the map that they were, in fact, the Marauders. Thanks!

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**A reminder of where we were last time**

_James emerged from the shed with a broomstick in hand._

_Lily took one side-ways glance at it and said, "Oh no, I'm not getting on that thing."_

_"The Nimbus 1970 is the safest broom on the market, equipped with anti-lock acceleration and a comfortable seat-cushioning charm. Plus, it's virtually indestructible."_

_"Nope. Still not riding it."_

_"Yes, you are."_

_"**So** not."_

_"Sorry about this, Lily," he said, quickly slinging their bag of supplies over himself, grabbing her hand, and kicking off from the ground, into the fresh night air.

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_

**Part Eleven: Flight of the Lily and Another Revelation**

Lily had begun yelling at him from the time he had taken hold of her hand. "You idiot! James Potter, if you don't let me down _this instant_, I'll be forced to hex you into oblivion!"

"Already there, babe."

She let out a bloodcurdling scream as they steered sharply to the left to avoid a flock of birds. James noticed she had her arms tightly around his abdomen, and, for a fleeting moment, had a smug expression on his face that showed his pleasure. **James, you dolt, it's not the time for that now.** He brought himself back to reality, which consisted of a broom ride across the lake and a constantly screaming Lily.

"All right. Let's get something straight, Miss Evans. This is the fastest way to where we need to go. As I recall, you don't want to get caught doing this, although some professors would understand as it's for a class, and your yelling won't help your case. And for Merlin's sake, don't scream bloody murder while the person in front of you is controlling a broom! You don't want to go falling right into the lake from here because your pilot lost his concentration due to your pointless cries for help, do you?"

Lily kept silent after that, until she asked another question. "Why do you and your friends use those nicknames?"

James thought for a minute before replying. "The truth?"

He felt Lily nod against his shoulder and exhaled.

"It all started with Remus. He was bitten—by a wolf—before he came to Hogwarts. Consequently, he now transforms into a wolf himself every full moon; he's a werewolf. Sirius, Peter, and I made friends with him, and so we noticed his monthly absences.

"He came clean, and we sympathized with him. We took it upon ourselves to transform every month as well, so he wouldn't be alone. We secretly studied the ways of the Animagi, and by fifth year, we could fully turn into animals: Peter into a rat, Sirius into a big black dog, and I into a white stag.

Lily's bright green eyes were wide open. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "But…how did you do all that stuff without anyone knowing?

"Experience, really. We did have a little help."

"From whom?"

James waited until they were safely across the lake and back on the ground before saying, "From what, you mean." He then pulled from his bag a silvery cloak.

"No, that can't be a…" Lily muttered.

"It's an Invisibility Cloak," he confirmed.

"Where did you ever find such a thing? Aren't they incredibly rare?" asked Lily, astonished for the umpteenth time that night.

"Family heirloom. Tonight, it's our way of Disillusioning ourselves." He held it over Lily's head.

She stepped back, hesitating. "Aw, come on. What's the matter?" James asked, clueless.

"Why would I get in a tightly enclosed space with _you_?"

"Oh, that hurt. You know, I'm not as bad as you make me out to be," James said. Lily looked toward the ground sheepishly but said nothing. "Well…do you want to be eaten alive by something out here? We're not too far from the Forbidden Forest." This did not affect Lily. James sighed. He hated to resort to threats. "Do you want to fail this potions assignment?"

"Fine," said Lily, forcing the cloak over him and herself.

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When should you expect the next post? I need five reviews, or two days, whichever comes first. It WILL continue, but I need to type more from my handy-dandy notebook, and REVIEWS (nudge, nudge, wink wink) speed up the process greatly. 


	13. Sniffs and the Terror of the Night

A/N:Thank you very much, reviewers! Near the same time I finished amending this part, I received my fifth review for part eleven, much to my delight. Wouldn't everyone (especially Jedi Knight Bus) like to see a longer segment? Well, the next one's looking pretty long (written, anyway)! I deeply encourage reviews, as they strongly motivate my typing...but I can tell you that part thirteen will take awhile to type...whatever, though. It's gonna be great! (Yes, I'm very excited.)

Enjoy!

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Jedi Knight Bus: Yes, that tends to be my problem in writing. I make things happen too soon. That's a really good idea you have about having James tell Lily for something in return...if I were you, I'd write a fic about that. It's your idea, so I can't do it. Good luck, if you so decide.

EmpressM: Don't we all hate them? But that's life, unfortunately.

cherokeegirl47: Updated as soon as I could! I'm glad you like it.

Jen: Thanks!

ebtwisty9: Thanks, I tried my hardest to make it sound believeable.

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**Part Twelve: Sniffs and the Terror of the Night**

Lily and James traveled the lengthy path to a remote rim of the forest. Here the fluxweed was abundant. The full moon provided enough light for them to work by.

Lily tried her best not to over-exert herself, so she wouldn't become sweaty. She had no clue as to why she cared what James thought of her body odor…

James' close proximity was a bit distracting for Lily, practically intoxicating, although she would never admit it aloud. **He smells good…I wonder what cologne he uses…** She sniffed him as quietly as was humanly possible. **Hmmm…like peppermint, but better.**

Before she could chance another whiff of her partner, he said, "Lily, hand over Mr. MacDougal's bag. I've got a whole bushel cut already." Lily gave it to him, and their hands met for a second. She jerked away and turned back around as quickly as she could, for her cheeks were flushed. **Nonsense, Evans, complete and utter _nonsense_. This is _James Potter_ you're blushing over.**

_I told you so_, the voice inside her head reminded her.

**Shut up**, she ordered.

Suddenly, Lily heard the rustling of something behind her. She turned again, and gasped as she saw a humongous wolf towering over her and James.

It looked as if the wheels in James' head had immediately begun turning as he noticed the problem as well. He quickly whispered to her, "When I count to three, you take the fluxweed, the broom, keep on the Invisibility Cloak, and get the hell out of here."

"But James—"

"Just do it, okay?"

Lily let out a shallow breath and nodded.

"One…two…three!"

She ran and ran until she reached the edge of the lake and sat down. **I hope James is all right. I'll never forgive myself if he isn't.**

_What was that, Lily?_

**It'd be my fault is all.**

_Yeah, right._

**Voice, I'm getting really sick of you.**

_I'm getting sick because you won't admit your feelings._

**James is my friend and nothing more.**

_I guess I'll have to accept that for now. It's a step in the right direction in the least. _With a hopeless sigh, the voice vanished yet again.

Lily stood up with her wand at the ready. There was no telling what might be coming. **Wow, if I'd known Remus was a werewolf…I might have been nicer to James' friends. Now I'm scared half to death that he might attack me…oh, this is messed up.**

A white stag soon emerged from the shrubbery and headed for her. Since she had a good feeling she knew who the creature was, so she lowered her wand arm and didn't back away. She took off the cloak to show James she was there. James transformed back into his normal state (though still on all fours), breathing heavily, as though he had just put forth a great deal of physical exertion. Lily noticed there was a small gash across his left cheek, probably from where Remus had attacked him.

Lily looked into James' hazel eyes worriedly with her emerald ones. "Are you quite all right? James, what happened? That was Remus, wasn't it?"

Her penetrating stare seemed to calm him. "Yeah, I'm…I'm fine." He sat down beside her. "Moony…well, he sensed your presence, which I guess is pretty unusual because he was in his wolf state, and so he was a bit fearful for my protection, I suppose. We battled it out until he realized it was me. You know, he can't really talk when he's transformed, so I don't even know—mmm-mm…"

Lily had pressed her hand to his mouth. He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You were babbling. You're going to wear yourself out worse than you already are, and that's not such a great idea since _you're_ the one flying us back across the lake." She released him.

"Okay. Let's just…go back. We've got more than enough fluxweed."

Lily nodded her agreement.

James picked up his broom and helped her onto it, and they began to retrace their flight back to the broom shed.

* * *

Neither said anything until they heard a wolf's howl from the forest.

"That's good ole Moony for you," James said, chuckling.

"It must be so hard for him. How does he deal with it?" Lily asked.

"Honestly, I don't know. He keeps to himself about that stuff…you know…emotions. Guys aren't so open with it," James said, fairly blindly.

She laughed out loud.

"What?" asked James, trying to keep his eyes on the chosen path. Controlling a broom with Lily Evans in back of him was not the easiest task in the world, he'd found.

"Nothing, it's just kind of cute when you try to explain things you don't fully understand."

"You think so, huh?" James did a spinning move on his broom, causing Lily to shriek and clench him around the middle even tighter than she had before.

She lashed out at him. "James Potter! I thought you'd know better than to do that while I'm on a broom with you!"

Now, of course, it was his turn to laugh (yet he had secretly enjoyed her calling him cute; this _is_ James Potter, after all). "It's so cute when you scream like that."

"Point taken," Lily grumbled, loosening her grip on him ever so slightly.

The two basked in the serenity of the moonlit evening and only spoke again once safely back in the Gryffindor common room, where they wished each other a good night and ascended their respective staircases without looking back.


	14. Judgment Day

A/N: Hey, everyone! Thanks to all who have been reviewing. Y'all know how much I love reviews... :-)

Well, this is the longest segment of "No!" so far, so I know y'all will enjoy it. It's Judgment Day, and everyone is freaking out about their assignments...

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Jedi Kinght Bus: You should be looking forward to this part...it's by far the longest! Buck is posting "Hermione's Exasperation" because I could no longer write it with him. The first half of the fifth chapter is basically the last of what I wrote of it.

ebtwisty9: I think of Lily as sympathetic too.

LadyOfTheCelticLand: I'm so happy you love it!

ST3: Nice suggestion...you'll see what happens...

Nicole: You're right about posting whenever I can. I need to get this show on the road if I'm to finish before HBP!

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**Part Thirteen: Judgment Day**

"You added a drop of your blood?"

James nodded tiredly. Lily had been quizzing him for Merlin knows how long about the procedures he had completed on the potion alone.

"And stirred occasionally for ten minutes after?"

"For the hundredth time, Lily, I've done it all. Will you stop pacing and sit down? You're making me dizzy," said James in a surprisingly patient tone. They were in the common room. She had been repeatedly walking the distance between an armchair and the fireplace for several minutes: back and forth, back and forth. It was enough to drive anyone mad. And James was almost positive the carpet beneath her chosen path had sunken a good half-inch from the time she started.

Lily complied with James' wishes and settled down onto an armchair. "I'm just really nervous."

"No way," James said sarcastically, dodging a small pillow Lily threw at him.

"You don't look nervous, James."

"I am, but I hide that emotion fairly well."

"Lucky," Lily sighed. "I'd better go to be, although I don't think I'll be able to sleep."

"Good luck with that," James said, ascending his staircase at the same time Lily did hers.

James changed quietly into his nightclothes and shut his bed-hangings. _This has been a crazy two months. I do wonder what Lily thinks of me now. I mean, I've put a lot of my life aside in order to work with her. My real hope now is that Solomon will grade us rightfully. I worked so damn hard on that thing…blood, sweat, and tears…literally…_

* * *

Lily sat down on her four-poster and closed her eyes, trying to breathe deeply. **I need to calm my nerves, if I'm going to do this tomorrow.**

_Be confident, Lily. James will help you._

**Yeah, he will… He's so much more…considerate nowadays. And helpful…he's been wonderful the whole time, actually. He's been the one thing I could count on in this project.**

_It's because he cares about you._

**He should care about me. I care about him—**

_Aha! I **knew** it!_

—**as a friend.**

_So you admit he's a good guy?_

**That he is… **Lily put on her pajamas and fell into a deep sleep as a result of her utter exhaustion.

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"Good morning, James," Remus said brightly the next morning. The Marauders were sitting at Gryffindor table, helping themselves to a hearty breakfast. That is, everyone except for James, who had only just arrived, looking a bit disheveled and extremely tired.

"What's so"—he let out a huge yawn—"good about it?"

"What happened to you, mate?" Sirius asked.

"Last night Lily made me go over _everything_ with her."

"You look like you could use some Pepper-Up Potion from Madam Pomfrey," said Peter.

"Great idea, except I have potions first class; if I'm late, Solomon will kill me. And then Lily would bring me back to life and kill me again."

"Oh, I've just remembered! Benjy Fenwick and his partner made Pepper-Up Potion for the assignment," Remus said. **(A/N: Impossibly convenient? Yeah, just go with it.)**

"Oi, Fenwick!" Sirius called down the table.

"Not here yet!" someone answered.

But then the very person they'd been searching for appeared at the Great Hall doors, with an entire case of his newly-brewed potion in tow.

* * *

James felt infinitely better after drinking Benjy's concoction. He met up with Lily at the bottom of the castle's marble staircase. She was holding a case of their own potion.

"Ready?" she asked anxiously.

"Ready as I'll ever be," James replied grimly. "Might as well get it over with."

They and most of the other NEWT potions students walked solemnly down to the dungeons to meet their inevitable doom.

Arriving in the classroom with ample time to spare, the students began to set up their materials. Professor Solomon had purposefully not specified what they would be doing to share their projects with the class, so every pair came prepared with anything they might need, like note cards, or a display board.

After fifteen minutes of preparation, the potions master himself glided into the room. "Each pair will have a total of twenty minutes, no more, to give a concise history and description of their potion, and to demonstrate the effects of it on your partner. Points for the assignment will be deducted for unnecessary noise-making, slip-ups in speech during your presentation, and any failure to meet my expectations. Emmeline Vance and Antonin Dolohov, you're up first. Your clock starts…now." And so the games began.

* * *

James tuned out of Emmeline's frantic explanation on the properties of powdered bicorn horn and its use in the Polyjuice Potion and looked toward Lily. She was in a frazzled state, thumbing fretfully through her note cards on Stinksap.

He reached over and took her hand in his. She immediately shifted her gaze from the note cards and into his eyes. He smiled and squeezed her hand reassuringly.

* * *

Lily smiled back weakly. **Oh my God, let me get through this presentation in one piece**, she prayed. She had expected James to release her hand after squeezing it, but he didn't. Instead, he held it captive, stroking the back of it with his thumb absently. Lily found this act quite calming and mirrored it.

* * *

James was surprised she had taken to it so well. _Oh, knock it off. She's just vulnerable right now and needs the comfort…but that doesn't mean I have to stop…_

James was interrupted from his thoughts.

"Miss Evans and Mr. Potter, next."

James noticed Lily had let go of his hand with a pang of loneliness.

Lily held her note cards tightly in one hand and waltzed to the front of the room. James followed close behind, carrying the heavy case of Blood-Replenishing Potion. He set it down on the provided table and proceeded to write the potion's name on the blackboard.

"A few points have already been deducted from your score due to the little love-fest that was going on behind my back during the previous presentations. Don't think I wouldn't know about it," he answered the unasked question implied by James' facial expression. "You may begin now."

Lily seemed to be in shock at the professor's accusation. James looked at the clock on the wall opposite him and sighed. _Now or never._

"The Blood-Replenishing Potion is a concoction that, when one drinks it, multiplies blood cells and restores blood to any given part of the body. One may need the potion after having received a nasty, poisonous snakebite, or even a serious paper-cut. Though most widely used in hospitals, the potion can be available in one's own home, if he or she stores the proper ingredients.

"The principle ingredients of this medical marvel are Stinksap, fluxweed, and a drop of type O-positive blood. The—uh—other ingredients"—James fumbled a bit with his note cards—"are—"

"—eye of newt and crushed scarab beetles. The properties of Stinksap cause the potion to thicken, enabling restorative powers…" Lily, now recovered, took over the explanation of their ingredients. A relieved James scanned the audience. Remus, who had the misfortune of sitting next to Snape, gave James a thumbs-up sign to help him along.

Lily came to a slight pause in her long-winded speech, inadvertently reminding James to pay closer attention to her lead. His eyes came back to full focus and he turned toward Lily, who was building up to the climax of their potion-making experience.

"After the fluxweed brews into the potion for one week, the final ingredient is added."

James continued for her. "The last ingredient is a fresh drop of O-positive blood, added directly into the potion from the donor. I added a drop of my own blood for our assignment accordingly. May we have a volunteer from the audience to test the potion?"

"No volunteers, Potter," drawled Professor Solomon.

"Oh…right, then. Lily, would you do the honors?" He gulped.

She cleared her throat. "All right," she said, though her voice hinted her answer wanted to be the opposite.

James pulled a pocketknife Sirius had given him from his robes and carefully—oh, how he hated to do it!—cut a slit in Lily's left palm.

Lily held her hand up for all to see in demonstration.

"Now," said James after a minute, "you can see that much of the blood has drained from Lily's hand. If you would kindly take a sip of this,"—he brought a glass out from under the small table and poured their concoction into it—"all should be well."

She did so, still holding out her hand toward the class. Everyone watched intently as her hand regained its normal color and healed itself completely.

There was some scattered applause from the other students. "No unnecessary noise-making," Professor Solomon nipped the cheers in the bud before Remus, Dorcas Meadowes, and even Benjy Fenwick could give James and Lily a standing ovation.

"Mr. Lupin and Mr. Snape, our last presentation, I believe," the professor said, shuffling the papers in front of him.

Remus and Snape hurriedly put up a display board on the small table and began.

James half-listened, pondering the outcome of his own presentation. There were a few snags here and there, but overall he felt they had done well. _But will Solomon think the same way?_

* * *

Lily found the Veritaserum presentation fascinating, and was listening to Snape's current rant on the chemical properties of the "Truth Potion" with rapt attention. Yet, her mind wandered after about two minutes of Snape spewing out facts.

**I did horribly. If anything, I made our case worse. But the _nerve_ of Professor Solomon to call James' and my holding of hands a "love-fest!" I admit it was a bit friendly, but James and I are friends. Seriously. At least James pulled us through when I faltered. A friend in need is a friend indeed.**

* * *

_When will this end? I mean, Moony's one of my best friends and all, but this is downright boring._Remus had been droning on and on about Veritaserum's effects. It was quite uninteresting; that's an understatement, in case you were wondering.

_Ah, finally._ With only a couple moments to spare, Remus and Snape took out a vial of some translucent substance. Remus was to drink it, and Snape was to ask him some questions that would prove the potion made him tell the truth. Remus downed the potion in one gulp.

"What is your favorite color?"

"Purple."

A few girls in the class giggled.

"What is your opinion of James Potter?"

"He's the best friend a bloke could have, an excellent Chaser, and his arrogance has diminished greatly this year." James frowned a little, but then he grinned, realizing Lily had heard that.

"What is you deepest secret?"

Remus' eyes widened, and his eyebrows disappeared into his bangs. "I…uh…the truth is, I'm a—"

* * *

A/N: Mwahahaha…review and tell me how much you hate the cliffhanger!

I just noticed there are SO many breaks for this segment...sorry...

Coming up: "Results and...Results" that's the next part's title!


	15. Results and Results

A/N: One more part to go after this one, and the last part will be the epilogue, for who starts a story with a prologue, but doesn't end with an epilogue? I'm babbling... Anyway, it should be up tomorrow!

Thanks to the readers and reviewers!

This part isn't too long, but I think you'll enjoy it.

* * *

EmpressM: Evil cliffhangers...sorry! I know, but it makes y'all readers want more...mwahahahaha. At least you'll find out Lupin's fate soon... The hand-hold was cute, I agree (tries to walk through doorway, but her head's too big).

Jedi Knight Bus: Thanks for the props! I felt good about their presentation as well...but I suppose we'll have to see what Solomon says.

James'sSnitchBoxersLover: Professor Solomon seems very evil, doesn't he? Think of him as a worthy forerunner of Snape...that's what I created him to be.

iWILLmarryDanielRadcliffe: Tricksy little Snape-ses...I know... Thanks, Hil!

ebtwisty9: I updated as soon as possible! I knew you needed it after that review.

Nicole: Yeah, Snape is such a little prat. Now, who/what WILL save the day?

LadyOfTheCelticLand: I am glad it interests you!

**_

* * *

_**

**_Where we left off last time…_**

_With only a couple moments to spare, Remus and Snape took out a vial of some translucent substance. Remus was to drink it, and Snape was to ask him some questions that would prove the potion made him tell the truth. Remus downed the potion in one gulp._

…

"_What is your deepest secret?"_

_Remus' eyes widened, and his eyebrows disappeared into his bangs. "I…uh…the truth is, I'm a—"_

* * *

**Part Fourteen: Results and…Results**

Remus was cut off by the bell.

A grateful look overcame his face. James said his own silent prayer of thanks and redirected his attention to Professor Solomon, who was making an announcement.

"The rubrics are graded. I felt I had enough information to go on, although we ran short on time. You may pick your grades up"—he dropped the rubrics onto the now clear presentation table—"here. I'll see you next week for exams. I need not remind you to study as if your lives depended on it." He left the room without a backward glance.

Marlene McKinnon was first to dive onto the pile of rubrics. "We got an 'O'!" I can't believe it!" she yelled, jumping up and down. It was clear to James that Lily found Marlene's braggart tone highly distasteful.

Dorcas Meadowes was handing out the other rubrics to her classmates. "Lily! Yours is right here," she said excitedly, holding it above her head.

Lily fetched the paper from her friend, who left the classroom with her partner, Hufflepuff Caradoc Dearborn. She examined it closely.

"What's the verdict?" James asked, unsure of whether he truly wanted to hear the answer or not.

Her expression brightened by a thousand watts.

"We got an 'E+'!" Lily screamed, moving around in a fashion Marlene McKinnon would envy.

James grinned widely and joined Lily in her euphoria. They finally ceased their jumping match, only half-noticing no one else remained in the room.

Having caught her breath, Lily said, "James, we did it. If it weren't for you, we never would have made it this far. Thank you." She wrapped her arms around him in a big hug. He responded by hugging her in return.

"You know you could've done it by yourself. You're Lily Evans, for Merlin's sake," James said, laughing slightly. They partially pulled out of the hug, but held each other at half an arm's length.

"I don't know if I'd have gotten there without your determination."

They then looked into each other's eyes, and a sort of trance came over them. As if the Earth's magnetic forces were pulling them closer together, Lily's and James' lips came crashing into each other. James could have sworn he felt a spark exchange between their mouths and he responded to it welcomingly.

To James' utter astonishment, Lily seemed to as well. He worked his tongue into the picture, and Lily allowed it into her mouth. _**Willingly**_! (A/N: I put a LOT of emphasis on this word.)

_I am **so** dreaming._

After a good few minutes of fairly passionate snogging, James had come to the conclusion that he was indeed awake. Also, it was most certainly time for a breather, which both took gratefully.

* * *

Lily sank down onto the nearest stool. **No way. I did _not_ just practically snog James Potter bloody senseless!**

_Actually, you did._

**Oh my Lord! What have I done? I've got to fix this…** "James?"

"Yeah?" he said, grinning at her with a look of mixed triumph and longing for more.

She tried her best to ignore the fact he seemed to have enjoyed what had happened as much as she did. **As much as I did? Well, it _was_ quite pleasurable…_no_. Enough.**

* * *

"Pretend that never happened," Lily said. "Let's pretend it didn't."

James' face fell. "_Any_ of it?"

Lily nodded. "Any of it." She picked up all her things and rushed out of the room, leaving behind an utterly confused James.

"Damn," he said, groaning loudly as the classroom door shut. "Why?" he asked the empty classroom.

_But she…she kissed me. Lily Evans kissed me! More like snogged…wow. But now, she doesn't want to be with me… Well, did she ever?_

_I might as well give up on her…maybe she'll come round next year. It's the only chance I've got._

James left the classroom somberly, so distraught he completely forgot to bring his things with him.

_

* * *

_A/N: Now, tell me: do you have a favorite part of this fic? If so, what is it? The last one may turn out to be your favorite, but what about so far? If you tell me, you're helping me focus on my strong points in writing, therefore helping me become a better writer. I'd love the help!

I'd also love to know what you think about this part.Do you want to strangle Lily? Do you admire James for being so considerate? Do you think they deservecd a better potions grade (although it doesn't matter, as it brought them closer together)? Please tell me in a review!


	16. Epilogue

A/N: This is it...the one you've all been waiting for...the EPILOGUE! I'm so happy...this is the first multi-chapter story of ANY kind that I have finished. I wanted to get this up as fast as I could, because Hurricane Dennis is on its way, and the power might go out. So I'm sorry to those of you who haven't reviewed for part fourteen; I hope my updating's not too fast for you (of course my updates aren't very long, so it shouldn't be a problem).

Thanks to all who have reviewed! I love y'all so much! --tear-- A list of all reviewers for this story will appear at the end of the epilogue.

Enjoy, everyone! I did when I wrote it!

* * *

ebtwisty9: I agree with you...I like gradual stuff. But it ends with this chapter...and it seemed to fit when I wrote it...it's not like the kiss was intentional, anyway. 

iWILLmarryDanielRadcliffe: Hilz, it's OWL-type grades! Go read the 5th book again, FwaPfM (Freak with a Passion for Michigan). AND WILL YOU CHILL? It's the fic business, babe. Sorry. That was harsh...

InuBecka: Yeah, James can't just give up on her!

LadyOfTheCelticLand: Again, I'm glad you find it interesting.

Inuyashafaneva: Yeah, Lily is so stubborn. I'm writing her character, and I want give her a smack upside the head!

**

* * *

**

**Epilogue**

"Lily, I can't believe you're Head Girl!" Emmeline Vance squealed as she entered the train compartment and caught sight of the badge Lily wore.

"I can believe it," said Dorcas Meadowes, who was sitting next to Lily.

Lily blushed. Everyone had been making such a fuss over her new occupation, and she didn't know what to say. Even a bitter Marlene McKinnon had congratulated her, although she led everyone to believe she didn't want that big of a burden in her last year at Hogwarts.

"You've heard who's Head Boy, then, haven't you, Lily?" Emmeline asked excitedly.

"Actually, I haven't," said Lily. "It wasn't in my letter."

"Well, I ran into Remus Lupin on the platform, and he told me who it is."

"Who is it!" Lily and Dorcas asked simultaneously, with a hint of impatience.

"All right, already. It's James Potter."

Lily sat silently, mouth gaping open. Dorcas spoke next, "Isn't he that fellow you did the potions assignment with last year?"

She nodded.

"You're a bit pale, are you feeling well?" said Dorcas concerned. The train then began moving.

"I'm…fine. Erm, I have to go to the front of the train. James and I need to meet with all the prefects." Lily rose and exited the compartment hurriedly, running into a mass of untidy jet-black hair and stumbling.

"Oh, I'm sorry; I was walking backwards—Lily!" James recognized her, helping her up. "How was your summer?"

"Oh, um…" Lily was flustered. "It was pretty uneventful. Yours?"

"The same." James smiled. "Nice badge."

"Oh! Thank you," Lily said. "And yourself."

"Guess we'll be working together, huh?"

"Probably," Lily gulped at the prospect of this. She had spent much of her vacation thinking of ways she could avoid contact with James the next term, but now it was inevitable.

"I suppose you were on your way to the prefect compartment?" said James.

"It's only logical," Lilly said irritably.

"Shall we, then?" James offered his arm.

Lily hesitated. **If I take it, am I flirting? We agreed not to speak of that one-time snogging session in the dungeons… James is doing a fine job of it. I wish I were able to do so as well… **She looked to James, who was waiting expectantly with his right eyebrow raised. **Oh, why the hell not?** She linked her arm through his, and to the front of the train they went.

* * *

"That takes care of everything. You're dismissed." 

Lily and James had finished assigning jobs to the prefects, and now they were alone in the compartment.

Apparently, the drawing up of patrol timetables had exhausted Lily, for she soon fell asleep in her seat.

James gazed lovingly at Lily, as he knew it would be one of the few opportunities he'd have to do so. _She's grown even more beautiful since June._ A lock of Lily's auburn hair fell from behind her ear, obstructing her face partially. James reached out to tuck it back into place, but then the train hit a bump on the tracks, and both Heads jolted.

Lily woke up with a start. "Sorry,"—she yawned, covering her mouth—"did I fall asleep?"

"Yeah," said James, looking away. "So…have a favorite band?" He was trying his best to keep it light. _It's what Lily wants._

"The Beatles."

"Who're they?"

"You're telling me you've _never_ heard of the Beatles?" Lily looked at him disbelievingly.

James only blinked.

"They're a Muggle band. I suppose that's why you don't know them. What about you? What's your favorite band?"

"Er…I'd say Vladamir and the Bloodsuckers. Those vampires sure can rock."

Lily laughed. "What a gimmick!"

"You should do that more often."

"Do what?"

"Laugh. Your laugh's a pretty sound, like wind chimes, and your eyes light up." James' eyes widened at his own daring.

"Thanks," said Lily slowly, considering him.

"Please don't look at me like that," James said pleadingly.

"Why not?" Lily asked, staring at him harder.

"It's…it's difficult, all right? You tell me, a week before school ends, to basically forget probably the best thing that has ever happened to me. Then, you don't speak with me until two months later; only out of necessity, I might add. Now, you look at me in a manner I envy. I can't look at you like that! You'd think I was a perverted jerk if I did.

"Asking me to forget we kissed is like asking the sun not to rise: worthless. That kiss we shared haunts me. And you know what, Lily? I have the right to believe you loved it every bit as much as I did." James spoke with such passion and feeling that Lily was shocked and touched at the same time.

And then came the tears.

_Damn, I didn't mean to make her cry._ "Lily, I'm sorry…please, don't cry," James said, handing her a handkerchief.

Lily bit her lip and gave him a watery smile of reassurance. "No, James, you're right. That was unfair of me. I'm just a bit…frightened, is all."

"What frightens you?"

"You."

_Me?_ James was rendered speechless. _What's so scary about me? Unless…_

* * *

Lily saw James' confusion through his expression, and explained. "But not only you…me as well. _This_"—she gestured at the air between her and James—"is what scares me." 

"But…why?"

"Because I've never felt this way before, about anyone."

"That makes two of us."

Lily opened her arms and embraced James tightly.

"You know what, James?"

"Hmmm?"

"You've changed."

"I may have, but my feelings towards you haven't."

They both closed their eyes, relaxing.

"Lily?"

"What is it?"

"Will you go to Hogsmeade with me some time?"

"Hmmm…" Lily tilted her head skyward, pretending to think. She locked her eyes with his and leaned toward him, kissing him deeply.

"Yes."

* * *

A/N: Come on, that was cute! Cheesy, but cute. My first real fluff, I guess. I strategically tried (I think I did it right...) not to use the word "yes" until the very end for effect (instead, I used nodding, "yeah's", and "mhm's")... Oh, the cleverness of me! 

**BIG VIRTUAL HUGS TO (in no particular order) MY REVIEWERS:**

iWILLmarryDanielRadcliffe

ebtwisty9

october tuscany

WallofIvy

Jedi Knight Bus

Nicnak

InuBecka

MickeyG51591

Jen

cherokeegirl47

EmpressM

ST3

LadyOfTheCelticLand

James'sSnitchBoxersLover

Inuyashafaneva

AND to the readers who didn't review (I still love y'all anyway), you get hugs too!

I don't think I forgot anyone...if I did, I'm sorry!

Next Up: Yes, I will be posting something else. It's a re-post (only the first two chapters were posted), under a different title. The original was "Harry Potter and the Sound of Music", about Harry and his friends starting a band (very random, I know), but now it shall be called "Much Ado About Music." I hope y'all take a look at it; it will be up soon! It'll be under Romance/Parody. I got bashed horribly with that fic by God-Awful Fan Fiction's forums, and I'm going to post it, becuase I'm NOT a chicken.

Again, THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Much Love,

suckr4romance (Christine to you)


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